A common treatment protocol: if a cutaneous mast cell tumor is diagnosed, it is excised as soon as possible, with wide margins, and after the surgery an adjuvant radiation therapy is started. This might not be indicated in the majority of dogs with complete surgical excision, as this interesting study illustrates...

A retrospective study was performed on 31 dogs with completely excised, grade II, cutaneous mast cell tumors in order to determine recurrence rates and sites.

Distant tumor recurrence developed in 22% of dogs, and local tumor recurrence developed in 11% of dogs; however, the vast majority of these animals were incompletely staged initially.

Complete surgical excision of grade II mast cell tumors was associated with effective local control in 89% of these dogs.

Therefore, adjuvant radiation therapy might not be indicated in the majority of dogs with complete surgical excision.

Reference intervals for blood parameters in Shetland Sheepdogs
Several breeds have physiological peculiarities that induce variations in reference intervals (RIs) compared with the general canine population. Shetland sheepdogs (SSs) are reported to be more predisposed to different diseases (eg, hyperlipidemia, gallbladder mucocele, and hypothyroidism). Consequently, a breedâspecific approach is more often required. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine whether the RIs of the general canine population could be applied to that of SSs, and to generate breedâspecific RIs, where appropriate.